Infatuated

"Just set aside our differences for now and let me take you to the Ball," he said firmly his silver eyes flashing with anger and disgust.

"Why in Merlin's name would I go with you though? You never presented a well rounded reason. Besides, I don't think we could go together without murdering each other," she said her brown eyes held their own contempt for this idea.

"Do I need to give a reason to a Mu—Muggle?" He snapped crossing his arms over his chest. He couldn't tell her the real reason. That he was hopelessly infatuated with her and he couldn't stand the idea of the Weasel taking her or anyone else. He was Draco Malfoy and he always got what he wanted… even if what he wanted was forbidden. Maybe that was why he wanted her so bad, simply because he wasn't allowed to have her.

"If you want to take a Muggle to the Ball I suggest you give it a valid reason as to why," she snapped.

He didn't like the way she had just referred to herself as a muggle and called herself it. It was one thing when he was mocking and teasing her but no one else was allowed to. She wasn't even allowed to look down on herself like that, she should know better. Everyone was always going on about how bloody brilliant she was, she should know that her blood didn't make a difference in that. She earned her place in this world. She coughed lightly interrupting his thoughts.

Now was not the time to be day dreaming, he scolded himself. Hermione was a quick witted girl, he couldn't be distracted around her or it would never happen.

"Because you're upset that that stupid Weasel still hasn't asked you and I don't like seeing you pine after him," he blurted out. So much for holding back information and being secretive. He scowled and frowned at the floor.

"Malfoy…," she said weakly as if she was touched by the sincerity of his bold statement. "I am not pining after Ron," she snapped as if she just grasped about what he said.

"Oh don't lie! The whole school can see it," he wasn't really sure if the whole school could tell but he could. He frowned at the floor some more. He couldn't meet her eyes at a moment like this, not when he was making such a complete fool out of himself.

"The whole school? Is it really that obvious?" she whispered.

He hated himself. He hated her. Why couldn't she, the brightest witch of the age, see past his demeanor? Why couldn't she see that he liked her in his own twisted way? Why did she just have to admit to him in that simple statement that she really was pinning after the Weasel. He groaned.

"Yes."

He was done with this conversation. He should have never sought her out. It was a hopeless cause. He turned his heel and started to head out of the abandoned class room that he had pulled her into.

"Wait," he heard her call.

It was the softest call he had ever heard. He wasn't sure if he should wait. If he waited then he was subject to more rejection, more loss. He couldn't chance it. He couldn't handle heart break not that his heart would break, just he was a Malfoy and Malfoy's don't get rejected. He would play on the safe side and just ask Pansy to go with him.

"I'll save you a dance but I can't go with you," she said.

He hadn't realized that he had frozen at the door until he heard the gentle patter of her footsteps and her hand lightly fall onto his shoulder.

"Truth is someone has already asked me," she said sadly as if she was truly regretful that someone had asked her. He spun around to face her.

"Who?"

She laughed for a second her eyes dancing with a mischievous glint.

"That, Malfoy, is a secret," she said with a bright smile. Ever since he had jinxed her last year and Madam Pomfrey shrunk her teeth Hermione's smile was even more captivating.

He couldn't tell you what possessed him to act on a whim. He never acted on whims. In fact he thought it was rather stupid, but being a 14 year old boy in an abandoned classroom with a very attractive girl, he lost his protest. He closed the small space between them pressed his lips against hers.

It was awful. Her lips were too plump and soft and her scent was way too strong and filled his nose. That, and the fact that she was wildly beating at his chest and struggling to push him away made it an awful first kiss.

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" she said furiously wiping at her lips with her sleeve once she gained her freedom.

"Just wanted to be your first kiss," he said quickly making a show at wiping his own lips.

They still tingled and he could still taste her on his lips no matter how furiously he wiped. He really had no reason for kissing her. If he had been honest with himself it would have been because he genuinely liked her.

"Who says that was my first kiss?" she snapped forgetting she was a witch for the second time and throwing a punch his way. He dodged it and caught her wrist pulling her closer to him.

"Admit it Granger. You liked it," he purred and placed a small kiss on her neck. He hoped that would distract her and her pervious statement was a bluff. He honestly couldn't stand the thought of other people kissing her. No, he didn't care if other people kissed her. He growled at his own thoughts and immersed himself in the kiss.

She was tense beneath him and holding her breath. He worked his way up and kissed her lips again. This time she didn't try pushing him off but she still wasn't responding. He repressed a growl and wrapped a hand into her hair pulling her closer to him.

"Come on Hermione. Kiss me back," he demanded placing a firmer kiss on her lips. To his great surprise she did.

Finally the two teens pulled apart and looked at each other. Hermione's face was a brilliant red and pink even tinged her ears. Draco was sure his own face was a flame and looked at the floor with fascination as he often resorted to, to avoid eye contact with her. He couldn't stand looking at her and facing real rejection this time. Before it had just been implied. Now… now it would be very real.

"That wasn't a bad first kiss," she said after a moment. Her blush began to creep down her neck line and making her look even more adorable. Again he couldn't help it as he leaned forward and placed another kiss to her lips.

"So will you go to the Ball with me?" he asked afraid that she would still reject him.

"Oh… I really am going with someone else… I promised…" she said her voice shaking slightly.

"Oh…"

"But I will save a dance for you," she said hopefully.

Hopefully? He chanced looking up into her eyes now. The first time he had really been able to look her fully in the eye since their first year. They were a soft brown. There was nothing special about them; they were plain old boring brown eyes. Only they had that piercing look and it felt like she could dissect you, like she could see into a person's very soul with those eyes. He had gotten a good long look. That should be able to last him another year at least.

"As long as you aren't taking that Weasel," he grumbled out.

"It's not him," she said laughing.

"Or that spot light obsessed Potter."

"It's not him either," she calmly said pulling him into a hug.

He was stunned for a moment. He was unsure of what to do, what he could do. He looked down at the brown frizzy hair and patted it lightly before slowly wrapping his arms around her. His heart was beating wildly in his chest.

"Malfoy?" she questioned looking up at him.

"Mmm?"

"I'm glad I was your first kiss," she said with a wide knowing smile. He blushed very deeply then. He couldn't deny it. He didn't want to deny it.

In fact the whole reason he asked her to the dance was because he was tired of this game they played. He was tired of acting like he hated her for his parents and for everyone who expected him to dislike her because of her blood. He wanted her, and that should be enough. He couldn't say his intentions for wanting her were noble but that didn't matter. They could never go back to being enemies, they could never be friends. So why not go for the path that no one expected out of them? Why not build a relationship? He swallowed and took a deep breath, prepared to pour out his heart and soul about how long he had admired her from afar.

Then he thought better of it. This was Hermione Granger. She understood. She kissed him back. Although it did take her a bit of coaxing, he had shown some part of himself and won her over. She was the brightest witch of the age. He didn't need to explain his feelings because she accepted them. Right then when she kissed him back she found some piece of him that said she accepted him. She would have never kissed him back had it been otherwise.

He smiled and kissed her hand with a sweeping bow.

"Don't forget to save that dance for me," he said pulling the door open.

"It'll be the last one," she promised.

And he knew she would keep her word. He just hoped that this other boy wouldn't sweep her off her feet before then. He very badly wanted to be the one to do that. He was infatuated.


A/N: For LittleMissLoony because today is her birthday and she is the best beta EVER! I hope everyone else who stumble's upon this story enjoys it as well. :D